2015 Pinot noir Daphne

Named for a very dear and longtime friend of Eyrie, this 1.5 acres of Pinot was planted to Pommard clone in 1974 and produces intense wines of herbal fruit and stones from very small clusters. This hilltop vineyard’s soil is very shallow, averaging less than 10 inches on top of large boulders from 820’.

Our five vineyards are all remarkable examples of Pinot noir in the Willamette Valley. Not only has each been farmed organically since inception, each vineyard contains ungrafted, pre-Phylloxera plantings that are vanishingly rare in the world of wine.

These five cuvées are produced identically, with the same fermentation regimes of wild yeast and small fermentation vessels, followed by aging in blends of cooperage with 12% new oak in each. The result is a fascinating journey up the Dundee Hills, from our lowest elevation Sisters vineyard at 220’ up to our highest elevation Daphne vineyard at 860’. Each wine reflects facets of soil, site, exposure, and vine age that together capture a precise portrait of how variations in place can influence Pinot noir.

2015 was the warmest year in Oregon since record keeping started more than a century ago. Spring brought one of the earliest blooms and the rare, consistently dry conditions meant that every flower had a much better chance than usual to develop into a berry. A cooling trend in September ensured optimal fruit quality as the vines coasted to perfect ripeness. Harvest started three weeks earlier than we normally expect, but the balance of the wines has been on-point nonetheless.